Property owner: Location of boxes is dangerous

Joe Ferrara, who, with his wife Joan VanDyke, owns the building at 101 East Mahoning St. that houses the studios of VanDyke & Company, expressed concern about what he believes to be a dangerous situation for property owners and pedestrians alike regarding the new traffic control devices that are being constructed on the sidewalks throughout the downtown area.

Ferrara, who presented photos of the new traffic control stations and crosswalk signal activation buttons Monday, also spoke at council’s Dec. 12 meeting.

“The sidewalk, which was eight feet wide, will now be reduced to four feet wide in the areas where the activation button is going to be installed,” he said, adding that the black poles that house activation buttons have a foot-wide square base and are being installed in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Everyone uses the sidewalk. It’s not right for PennDOT to not consider alternatives, with all the conduit and wires sticking up through the concrete it looks like an industrial site,” he said.

Council member William Spencer said if Ferrara did this on his sidewalk, he would be arrested.

Borough Manager Ben White said he spoke with PennDOT Project Manager Kirby Starr, who said the project meets ADA requirements.

Ferrara also said he did sign a right-of-way agreement with PennDOT for the project, but the document did not properly describe the completed project.

“I’ve talked with other downtown property owners, and they all said they would not have signed the agreement if they knew this was how it was going to look,” he said.

Spencer said in his travels, he has never seen anything like this in other towns.

Ferrara said he is circulating a petition, asking PennDOT to change the project, that other property owners have agreed to sign.

White said that the next step is to contact state Rep. Sam Smith and state Sen. Joe Scarnati so they can see the project for themselves.

Council member Robert Reesman said if signal work hasn’t been done this way in other towns, why should Punxsutawney have to put up with it.

“When PennDOT begins to plow snow, it will reduce the width of the sidewalk even more,” Ferrara said, adding that he encourages all the members of council to go and inspect the project for themselves.

Council approved a motion to send Smith and Scarnati letters asking them to inspect the project and see what alternatives are available.